| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 136 |
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| 2 | 2 | | In Memory |
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| 3 | 3 | | of |
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| 4 | 4 | | Preston Ray Bridges |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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| 6 | 6 | | passing of Preston Ray Bridges of Quitman on November 21, 2018, |
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| 7 | 7 | | at the age of 80; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The son of H. L. and Annice Bridges, Preston |
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| 9 | 9 | | Bridges was born in Forest Hill on September 8, 1938; his mother |
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| 10 | 10 | | died when he was five months old, and his siblings, J. C., |
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| 11 | 11 | | Clarence, Les, Aline, Minnie Lee, Louise, and Marie, helped raise |
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| 12 | 12 | | their younger brother on the family farm; learning the value of |
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| 13 | 13 | | hard work from his father, he graduated from Quitman High School |
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| 14 | 14 | | in 1957 and attended Paris Junior College and Arlington State |
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| 15 | 15 | | University; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Bridges wed Barbara Medlin on October 31, |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1958, and the couple shared a rewarding marriage of 60 years; |
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| 18 | 18 | | they became the proud parents of a son, Rocky, and their |
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| 19 | 19 | | treasured family later grew to include two grandsons, Colby and |
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| 20 | 20 | | Kyle; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty, Mr. Bridges |
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| 22 | 22 | | joined the United States Army in 1961; he was deployed to Bad |
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| 23 | 23 | | Kreuznach, Germany, and assigned to the adjutant general's |
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| 24 | 24 | | office, and he eventually received the Army Commendation |
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| 25 | 25 | | Medal; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Returning to the United States in 1964, |
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| 27 | 27 | | Mr. Bridges embarked on a career with Texas Instruments that |
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| 28 | 28 | | would span two decades; in 1973, he and his family moved to |
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| 29 | 29 | | Quitman, where he went on to serve as executive vice president of |
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| 30 | 30 | | Wood County National Bank and to retire following a 19-year |
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| 31 | 31 | | tenure; engaged in his community, Mr. Bridges was active with the |
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| 32 | 32 | | Quitman Youth Foundation, and he was a member of the Quitman |
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| 33 | 33 | | Independent School District Board of Trustees; he also held |
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| 34 | 34 | | leadership roles with the Quitman Chamber of Commerce, the Wood |
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| 35 | 35 | | County Farm Bureau, and the Wood County Junior Livestock Show, |
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| 36 | 36 | | and he served his congregation as a deacon at Faith Baptist |
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| 37 | 37 | | Church; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Although Preston Bridges is deeply missed, |
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| 39 | 39 | | memories of his devotion to his family, his faith, and his |
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| 40 | 40 | | community remain to comfort and inspire those he leaves behind; |
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| 41 | 41 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th |
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| 43 | 43 | | Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of Preston Ray |
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| 44 | 44 | | Bridges and extend sincere sympathy to his loved ones; and, be |
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| 45 | 45 | | it further |
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| 46 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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| 47 | 47 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns |
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| 48 | 48 | | this day, it do so in memory of Preston Ray Bridges. |
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| 49 | 49 | | Hughes |
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| 50 | 50 | | ________________________________ |
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| 51 | 51 | | President of the Senate |
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| 52 | 52 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 53 | 53 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 54 | 54 | | the Senate on February 7, 2019, by |
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| 55 | 55 | | a rising vote. |
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| 56 | 56 | | ________________________________ |
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| 57 | 57 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 58 | 58 | | ________________________________ |
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| 59 | 59 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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